GOP frontrunners fail to talk solutions on trips to S.C.
Since 1980, the winner of the South Carolina primary has secured the Republican nomination. So naturally, South Carolina was a hot spot for candidates last week.
The candidates' trips through South Carolina continued the ultimate political campaign theme, next to nothing significant typically happens in the over controlled environments of campaign events.
On Tuesday, Mary Kaye Huntsman — wife of Republican Jon Huntsman Jr. — came to speak to 25 USC students in the Russell House. She refused to talk politics, but was adamant about her husband's consistent political belief set throughout his career.
I don't know if it is more ridiculous that she stressed her husband's consistent political beliefs, but wouldn't regurgitate any of the views she's heard along his side, or that she came to a political forum to spit out a Wikipedia page on her husband.
Then Thursday, Michele Bachmann arrived. Right before her bus pulled in, a campaign worker encouraged the attendees to gather closer to the stage so it would look better on TV.
The people behind the stage each held their Bachmann for President signs for the cameras. She went through her platform with periodic "Barack Obama will be a one-term president" interjections, as the crowd enthusiastically chanted the last three words. Yet again, she's in a safety net carefully crafted by her workers telling supporters to stand here and there and hold this while she delivers a speech.
To her credit, she gave the speech without a teleprompter, but without any fresh content except for referring to herself as a "hombre-ette", most certainly looking to appeal to the Hispanic vote.
On Friday, the newest member of the Republican presidential race graced the stage at a fund raiser put on by the South Carolina GOP. After Bachmann went on for 20 minutes, I prepared for something similar. Rick Perry went on for seven minutes.
He revealed no more than he previously did leading up to the event since his announcement in Charleston Aug. 13. Again, we're told nothing. He is there to get exposure, snap photographs and shake the hands of the heads of the S.C. GOP.
No candidate delivered anything new. They stood in their crafted atmosphere sounding like an enthusiastic Bill Belichick at a press conference. The nonstop media has demanded them to do so.
Everyone is trying to avoid a Sarah Palin or a John Edwards or a Howard Dean scream, the one grave misstep destroying years of preparation for the culmination of a career.
With President Obama's approval ratings at a personal all-time low, whichever candidate can avoid a foolish misstep will likely get the grace of the party to challenge him.